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Hello. I'm going to be in Paris for a week in August and am very excited to see the city. I'm going to be touring the Pleyel factory...I think that is going to be very interesting.

Does anyone know of any other interesting piano/ music related things to do in Paris? Would love to hear some ideas.

Thanks!

Not very funny, but there is the Père Lachais cemetery with Chopin's grave.

If you are in the mood to practice, there are piano stores that offer practice rooms for a fee (about $20 an hour!).

You're looking for "un salon de répétition" (Uhn sah-lown deu ray-pay-ti-syown) [Send all the 'n's into your nose]

You don't need to go to Paris to do this, but I'd recommend reading "The Piano Shop on the Left Bank" either before you go or during your trip. <http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=piano+shop+on+the+left+bank>

See the Opera House. It is just jaw dropping. Fru Fru Extraordinaire.

A totally non-music related item that was just astounding in its own rather macabre way was the catacombs. In the 1700s, the cemeteries ran out of room, and they were causing issues with the water wells that Paris relies on. So, they closed the cemeteries and moved all the bones to an abandoned stone quarry. It goes for miles under the city. If you go, be there when they open at 10, since the number of visitors is limited and they stop admission at 4. 180 steps down a circular staircase, so not for anyone mobility challenged. I didn't particularly want to go, but I'm glad I did, it was quite amazing and clearly done with great reverence. There's a metro stop there.

We just returned today from a 9 day trip. I didn't do any practicing, sorry to say. But we did tip the two guys with accordions who sang on the metro, thus furthering their musical careers...

The Pleyel factory sounds fun.

There is also a used piano shop on the Rue du Faubourg St-Honoré, a few steps across from the Pleyel showroom there. They were pretty friendly about allowing us to come in and play around a bit when I was there. But, they don't have seating in front of most of the pianos. Don't know if they will be open in August when all of France is on holiday.

You might head up (north, I think) to the Cite de la Musique. There's a nice public museum there of music history. It's in a shabby neighborhood near the end of a subway line. Obviously a throw-money-into-a poor-district government project. Also a concert hall adjacent.

It's nice to go up to the Sacré Coeur and hang out at top of the steps in the late afternoon before the sun sets. There are sometimes buskers playing accordion and the like. It's a nice atmosphere. Also, if you walk around to the top and left of the Sacré Coeur, there is the Place du Tertre which is also a nice area to stroll around and maybe have a drink.

You also might want to attend a classical concert at L'église de la Madeleine, a famous church in Paris.

In August, they will have Vivaldi's 4 Seasons on various dates. Also in August they will have Mozart's Requiem.

See here for more details: Classical Events at La Madeleine

Here is a video of Vivaldi being played at La Madeleine.. Really nice acoustics.